At last month’s CNN town hall, Rubio said: “I absolutely believe that in this country, if you are 18 years of age, you should not be able to buy a rifle, and I will support a law that takes that right away.” However, Rubio, for the last two Congresses, has introduced a D.C. gun bill that would permit individuals in the District under the age of 21 to purchase assault rifles. His bill would go further to repeal virtually all of D.C.’s gun safety laws, including its bans on assault rifles, such as the AR-15, used in the Parkland, FL shooting, guns in schools and large capacity ammunition magazines, as well as its registration requirements. A Rubio spokesperson recently told the Miami Herald that he would not withdraw his D.C. gun bill.

Rubio first introduced the D.C. gun bill in 2015, just before announcing his candidacy for president, and, upon filing his bill, the National Rifle Association upgraded Rubio’s rating from a B-plus to an A.